The present invention relates generally to spraying devices, and more particularly to spraying devices adaptable to a variety of containers.
Typical lawn and garden tank sprayers that apply fertilizers, pesticides or other chemicals require a fixed dilution ratio by the addition of water thereto to provide a liquid spray mixture. There are considerable energy requirements necessary to provide adequate pressure to atomize and propel the liquid mixture into a spray. This entails manual pumping of air into a pressure chamber and building up of the pressure to a magnitude that creates an adequate spray pattern for the application, which can be manually demanding for the user. The user will also periodically pump the pressure back up to its operating pressure to re-establish the proper spray pattern, disrupting the spray process, prolonging the time it takes to complete a spray application.
Currently available garden hose-end sprayers that incorporate aspirating units, utilize a series of orifices to meter the concentrate side of the system to achieve a preset mixing ratio. For example, the popular Dial N Spray™ unit available from Scotts Miracle-Gro Company uses various orifices in a rotational disk that are calibrated and labeled so that the user only needs to set the dial to the correct setting to achieve the desired mixing ratio. Downstream pressure fluctuations, sometimes present with adjustable nozzles, can affect the metering accuracy of these aspirating units. Additionally, when back pressure is created in the spray nozzle, the venturi will not operate below atmospheric pressure, resulting in a change or actual stop in the flow. The mixture ratio is also affected. These changes in the mixture ratio will in turn affect the efficacy of the spraying application.
Furthermore, many of the sprayers on the market require premixing of the chemicals and water, exposing the user to chemicals and the potential for spilling of the chemicals during mixing. Initial opening of the concentrate bottle cap and typical foil seal can be difficult to break. The user usually uses a sharp tool to break the seal. There is a high probability that the tool will get concentrate on it when it punctures the foil. The tool and the process of opening the foil seal expose the user to accidental spillage of the concentrate. Sometimes a transfer container is used to measure the amount of concentrate, which is then transferred to the sprayer. There are exposure risks in this process associated with cleaning and storage of the transfer container. The user is required to manually measure out the recommended quantity of concentrate with a spoon, cap or other measuring device. The concentrate is then added and diluted with a known volume of water in the sprayer tank for use in the application. It is possible that the premixing and transfer process can deposit concentrate on undesirable surfaces of the sprayer resulting in yet more exposure to chemicals.
It is a primary object of an embodiment of the invention to provide a sprayer system that eliminates or reduces the user's exposure to concentrate and diluted chemicals. It is another object of an embodiment of the invention to provide a sprayer system that does not require premixing of concentrate and water. It is a further object of an embodiment of the invention to provide a sprayer system that reduces or eliminates the environmental and other problems associated with spraying of chemicals, storage of chemicals, proper disposal of chemicals and clean-up of chemicals. It is yet another object of an embodiment of the invention to provide a sprayer system that is adaptable to any type of container. It is a further object an embodiment of the invention to provide a sprayer system having an accurate and reliable metering component. It is a further object of an embodiment of the invention to provide a sprayer system that is easy to clean. It is a further object of an embodiment of the invention to provide a transparent and visual indication of the fluid movement, mixing and filtering process. It is still another object of an embodiment of the invention to provide a sprayer system that is ergonomically designed and requires little or no effort to operate. It is a further object of an embodiment of the invention to allow only clean water in the pressurized sprayer tank.